Electrode melting arrangement

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for the melting of electrodes and converting the melted material into ingot block form, in which a plurality of guide posts are mounted rotatably about a stationary common column. An electrode is supported by a carrying arm at each end of the guide posts. The electrode is melted and the melted material is allowed to cool in a chill mold. Mounted parallel to each electrode is a current-carrying conductor which also rotates with the movable guide post.

United States Patent Reimpel et al. Sept. 5, 1972 [54] ELECTRODE MELTING 3,602,623 8/1971 Wooding ..l3/9 ES ARRANGEMENT [72] Inventors: Uwe Reimpel, Varangeviller Str. 36; Primary Examiner-Roy Ema,

Helmut Scheidig, Feldbergstr. 19, both of 6451 Bruchkobel; Hans Friedrich Wolfgang Schwartz- Domke, Odenwaldstr. 4, 645 am Attorney-Joseph F. Padlon [57] ABSTRACT Main all of Germany An arrangement for the melting of electrodes and converting the melted material into ingot block form, in [22] Flled: Sept 8, 1971 which a plurality of guide posts are mounted rotatably [21] App], No; 178,758 about a stationary common column. An electrode is supported by a carrying arm at each end of the guide [52] U S. Cl I i I posts. The electrode is melted and the melted material 51 hit. ell .111 ...1111:.:....II...............:n05b 3/60 is aHOWed cool a chill Mounted Pmlle' [58 Field of Search ..13/9, 1447, 8 ES each electrode is a Current-carrying conductor which also rotates with the movable guide post. [56] References Cited 8 Claims, 2 Drawing res UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,523,995 8/1970 Tulin et a1. ..l3/9 ES 3 2S n H 2 22 ELECTRODE MELTING ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an arrangement for melting, through electrical means, electrodes and converting the material of the electrodes to another shape. The arrangement has a plurality of vertically-oriented guide rods or guide posts with displacable electrode carrying arms on these guide rods. A plurality of shell molds or crucibles are provided for receiving the melted material from the electrode and converting the melted material to ingot-shaped blocks. Each electrode carrying arm is rotatable in a horizontal direction for selectively servicing a number of different chill molds.

An arrangement for the melting of electrodes is known in the art through, for example, the German Pat. No. 1,813,478. In the known arrangement, two stationary guide posts or rods are spaced from each other, and each of the guide posts is provided with a rotatable electrode carrying arm. With each of these arms, in turn, a number of different chill molds can be serviced by being located on a circle within the path of motion of the carrying arms. It is, however, impossible to service more than one or two melting positions in an alternating manner, with the two carrying arms. This results from the condition that the electrode holding arrangement which is attached to the rotatable arm, rotates along an arc which has only a corresponding number of intercepting points. In this arrangement, only the centrally located one of the three chill molds can be serviced alternatingly by the electrode carrying arm. The twoouter-lying chill molds cannot be serviced in this manner. As a result, the centrally located chill molds can also only be serviced in an alternating manner through sequential or successive melting of a plorality of electrodes. The centrally located chill mold, thereby, is the only one which provides for larger ingots or blocks from a plurality of electrodes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for the avoidance of the aforementioned disadvantages by servicing equally large chill molds in an identical manner through the use of a plurality of successively following electrodes. At the same time, more than two chill molds can be arranged in conjunction with the path of motion of the two electrode carrying arms. The arrangement in accordance with the present invention is also to be easily installable from the viewpoint of the electric arc and the melting of the slag.

The objects of the present invention are achieved by providing that the guide rods or posts for the electrode carrying arms are rotatable about a common axis. The electrode holding device at the end of the carrying arm move, thereby, along the same path of motion as the electrode carrying arms for identical lengths thereof. As a result of this construction, a larger number of chill molds, theoretically any desired number, can be arranged along such path of motion and be serviced in an identical manner with electrodes to be melted. The advantage of this arrangement is that the capacity of the entire installation can be increased without increasing the complexity of construction, since it is possible to allow a completed melt to cool in one chill mold, while carrying out a second melting process in the neighboring chill mold. The final ingot or block in both such molds will then be of equal size.

By using further or additional guide rods or posts, which are rotatable about the same axis, simultaneous melting of two or more ingots or blocks of equal size can be accomplished inthis manner. By avoiding the alternating technique, it is also possible to carry out a parallel insertion of an electrode into each electrode carrying arm, at the same time. A particularly advantageous construction of the present invention resides in the feature that the guide rods or posts are provided with carrying arms at each end, and these arms are rotatable in bearings which have the same axis. It is also possible with this construction, to construct the common rotational axis in the form of a sta tionary column, and to displace those on the side of the stationary column. In such a case, the stationary column can be provided, for example, with supporting means in the vicinity of its base and its top end for supporting the bearings for the rotatable arms of the guide columns or rods.

In order to avoid the heavy and awkward current supplying cable, the present invention provides the advantageous construction that each guide rod or post is provided with an electrical contact track or rod which runs parallel to the guide post. The electrical contact track rotates with the guide post or column. The electrical contact track is connected at one end with the electrode to be melted. At the other end of the contact track, is connected a current source with fixed contact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement whereby electrodes may be melted and converted to another shape as, for example, into ingot or block form, in a number of different chill molds, of the same kind.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing character which is simply constructed and may be readily maintained.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement as set forth wherein the ingots or blocks are of identical size.

rent-carrying conductor which also rotates with the movable guide post.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational front view and shows the arrangement for carrying out a melting process by which an electrode is melted and the material is allowed to cool in a chill mold, in accordance'with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 and shows possible positions for the electrode and their carrying means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing and in particular, to FIG. 1, two guide columns 1 and 2 are provided, with electrode carrying arms 3 and 4 vertically displaceable on the columns. When the electrode 5 used for melting pur- I poses, is consumed by approximately half, the electrode carrying arm 4, for example, attains the central position 4'. The vertical displacement of the electrode carrying arms 3 and 4, is achieved through threaded rods or shafts 6 and 7. The driving motor 8 operates the threaded shafts or spindle 7, through the speed reducing mechanism 9.

At the upper end of the guide column 1 is a swivable arm or bracket 10. At the lower end of the guide column or guide rod 1 is another swivable arm or bracket 11. These arms or brackets 10 and 11 are rotatable about a stationary column or supporting axis means 14, and are held in bearings 12 and 13, respectively, rotatably relative to this column 14. In an analagous manner, the guide column 2 is provided with swivable arms or brackets 15 and 16 at the top and bottom, respectively, and these brackets are also rotatable with respect to the stationary column 14 by being held in bearings 17 and 18 which are coaxial with the axis of the column 14. The longitudinal axes of the guide columns 1 and 2 as well as the stationary column 14 are parallel relative to each other. The column 14 is secured in place at its base 19. The swivable arms or brackets 10 and 11, as well as 15 and 16, serve the two purposes of functioning as bearings for the threaded rods 6 and 7, and for receiving the driving motor 8 together with the speed reducing mechanism 9. The swivable arms, furthermore, also serve the purpose of retaining the contact rods or tracks 20 and 21. An electrical insulator is, thereby, situated between the swivable arms and the contact rods or tracks.

The electrode carrying arm 4 is provided with a slidable contact 22. Through this sliding contact 22, the current necessary for the melting operation is transmitted from the contact rod or track 21 to a current connection or junction 23, and from there to the melting elec-. trode 5. A similar arrangement is, of course, provided for the electrode carrying arm 3. After the operative position of the electrode for the guide rod or column 2 has been attained, the current rod or track 21 may be connected with a contact 31 for supplying electrical power. Such contact with the element 31 can be achieved by providing that the element 31 is axially displaceable in a fixed longitudinal guide arrangement, and may be brought into contact with the current track through the operation of a drive mechanism. Since such coupling for electrical current is well known in the art, further details of this coupling are not described.

At the end of the electrode carrying arm 2 is an electrode securing arrangement 24 into which the portion 25 of the electrode 5 is inserted and secured. At the lower end of the electrode 5 is a water-cooled chill mold or crucible 26 in which the electrode 5 is con verted and melted to an ingot 28, through a slag layer 27.

In FIG. 2, four chill molds or crucibles 26a to 26d are shown. These chill molds or crucibles are situated beneath the electrodes securing or suspension arrangement d are loc ted on ircle a out which t assem ly 22 is swivaliie. Receiving stations 29 and serve as bins or magazines for the electrode 5 to be melted. The chill molds or crucibles 26 are partially located in the foundation 19.

In operation of the present invention, an electrode 5 is, for example, melted within the crucible or chill mold 26c. The electrode carrying arm 3 has been provided with an electrode to be melted at the receiving station 29, and is assumed to be in a waiting position above the chill mold or crucible 26b. After the electrode suspended over the chill mold or crucible 260 has been melted, the electrode carrying arm 4 is moved away from the chill mold or crucible 26c, together with the portion of the electrode that remains unmelted. The electrode carrying arm 4 becomes, thereupon, equipped with a new electrode at the receiving station 30. Directly after the crucible or chill mold 26c has become vacant, the electrode carrying arm 3 becomes rotated to the position above the chill mold 26c. The electrode carrying arm 3 then becomes lowered and the melting process with a new electrode takes place. This procedure for changing electrodes can be carried out for each of the crucible or chill mold positions 26a to 26d.

What is claimed is:

1. An arrangement for the melting of electrodes comprising, in combination, supporting axis means; bracket means rotatably supported by said supporting axis means and rotatable horizontally about said axis means; a plurality of vertical guide columns held by said bracket means and movable therewith; electrode I carrying means on said guide columns and slidable along said guide columns for carrying an electrode and moving said electrode parallel to said guide columns; and a plurality of chill molds concentric with the path of motion of said movable guide columns.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket means comprises a bracket at each end of each guide column.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 2 including bearing means on said supporting means and connected to said bracket means.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting axis means is stationary.

5. The arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein the axis of rotation of said bracket means and said guide columns is located spaced sidewise and in proximity to said stationary supporting axis means.

6. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including electrical conduction means parallel to said guide columns and rotatable therewith, one electrical conductor being rotatable with each guide column.

7. The arrangement as defined in claim 6 including a source of electrical current; and electrical conductor means for connecting said electrical source of current to one end of said electrical conductor, the other end of said electrical conductor being electrically connected to said electrodes.

8. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrode is moved into said chill molds by said electrode carrying means by moving along the respective guide columns, the rate of movement of said electrode into said chill mold depending on the rate of melting of said electrode. 

1. An arrangement for the melting of electrodes comprising, in combination, supporting axis means; bracket means rotatably supported by said supporting axis means and rotatable horizontally about said axis means; a plurality of vertical guide columns held by said bracket means and movable therewith; electrode carrying means on said guide columns and slidable along said guide columns for carrying an electrode and moving said electrode parallel to said guide columns; and a plurality of chill molds concentric with the path of motion of said movable guide columns.
 2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said bracket means comprises a bracket at each end of each guide column.
 3. The arrangement as defined in claim 2 including bearing means on said supporting means and connected to said bracket means.
 4. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said supporting axis means is stationary.
 5. The arrangement as defined in claim 4 wherein the axis of rotation of said bracket means and said guide columns is located spaced sidewise and in proximity to said stationary supporting axis means.
 6. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including electrical conduction means parallel to said guide columns and rotatable therewith, one electrical conductor being rotatable with each guide column.
 7. The arrangement as defined in claim 6 including a source of electrical current; and electrical conductor means for connecting said electrical source of current to one end of said electrical conductor, the other end of said electrical conductor being electrically connected to said electrodes.
 8. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrode is moved into said chill molds by said electrode carrying means by moving along the respective guide columns, the rate of movement of said electrode into said chill mold depending on the rate of melting of said electrode. 